Column by the by Head of the EU Delegation/EU Special Representative in BiH Luigi Soreca
2025 has arrived, a year in which Bosnia and Herzegovina will mark 30 years since the signature of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Will this also be the year in which Bosnia and Herzegovina takes a decisive step forward towards EU membership with its first Intergovernmental Conference to formally kick off EU accession negotiations? At the end of 2025, will we be able to look back and say that this was the year when the country’s authorities showed determination to move forward on the path from Dayton to Brussels? Or, will we look back with regret at missed opportunities for the country and its citizens?
In the first months of 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted important reforms that led to the European Council giving a green light for accession negotiations. Then, unfortunately, reforms stalled. Moreover, the country’s authorities were unable to agree on a Reform Agenda with sufficient ambition that could radically improve the business climate as well as open up the possibility of receiving €1 billion of EU investment under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. During 2024, we also witnessed unacceptable threats to the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the democratic world is united in condemning.
Political actors have demonstrated on numerous occasions the courage to agree on consensus solutions that benefit the whole country. This makes it all the more disappointing when they choose not to. Or, even worse, when they pursue actions which actively harm the interests of the country’s citizens.
The Dayton Peace Agreement was enormously significant in ending the most devastating conflict in Europe since the Second World War. Nonetheless, extensive international supervision was never meant to be a permanent feature of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s governance. International supervision currently remains necessary, as the 5+2 Agenda for closing the OHR has not yet been fulfilled. Nonetheless, it is incompatible with EU membership, and we expect that as the country makes steps forward on the EU path, domestic remedies must be prioritised. Will the country’s leaders in 2025 demonstrate the vision and leadership necessary to make steps towards the EU and away from international supervision?
Recently, we passed a milestone of 15 years since the Sejdic-Finci ruling at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The Constitution and Election Law are features of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Dayton system of governance that will have to change on the path to the EU to end discrimination in line with ECtHR judgements.
Moving decisively from Dayton to Brussels means strengthening democratic institutions, improving the economy, and ensuring stability and prosperity for all citizens. The path from Dayton to Brussels is about more than meeting technical benchmarks. It is about creating a society where every citizen has a stake in its future, where the rule of law is upheld, and where the potential of this country is fully realized.
I have been in Bosnia and Herzegovina now four months. But let me make clear that I do not see my role as only pointing out the challenges. I see my role as facilitating solutions. Bosnia and Herzegovina has my full commitment that I will continue to speak and work with all political actors in the country in order to find solutions. The EU and its member states will remain steadfast friends to this country, and will continue to be the largest investors and providers of assistance. In the coming days, the first support from the €20 million package promised by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to flood affected communities will be invested. We stand by the people of this country in many ways, and will continue to do so.
Let me end with a personal reflection. Even though I have been following Bosnia and Herzegovina professionally for a number of years, I am still new in the country. People ask me how I am finding living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, often in a tone that suggests I ended up in an extremely complex and troubled place. It is certainly a very challenging working environment. But the truth is – and sometimes it helps to be an outsider to notice certain things – that this is an incredible country, with talented and creative people, diverse cultural influences, and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I recently visited the town of Tesanj, which is a place that demonstrates not only that economic success is possible in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also that economic opportunities facilitate social cohesion, with BiH citizens from nearby Doboj and Teslic travelling to Tesanj for work. As one local entrepreneur told me, “when I walk around Tesanj, I feel like I’m in Germany, but as soon as I go online, it’s all talk about divisions and tensions”.
We all have a responsibility to contribute to an environment which lowers tensions and divisions, and this is particularly true of political actors. The EU path offers a framework for transforming BiH for the better. It is a path however that must be walked together – citizens, leaders, and the international community. With the right choices, 2025 can mark a turning point toward a brighter future!
